OLOW ADULT VOLLEYBALL LEAGUE

The purpose of this league is to provide an opportunity for interested adults to play in a safe and organized recreational environment. Fair play and good sportsmanship is the responsibility of every player, coach, and spectator.

The following is a list of rules adopted by OLOW Athletic Board to govern the recreational volleyball league. Rules not covered herein will be determined by the Illinois High School Association (IHSA).

GENERAL

The full league fee must be paid by 5pm of the registration deadline.

Each team shall designate a team captain who will be the liaison between that team and the OLOW. Only the team captain should communicate concerns with the OLOW. To avoid confusion, players should speak to their team captain on all inquiries and not contact the OLOW directly. Captains responsibilities include:

Attend pre-session meeting to obtain league rules and schedule.

Confirm best mailing address and phone number/email with OLOW.

Distribute copies of league rules and schedule to team players.

Sign score sheet (after each match) to assure accuracy of score.

Responsible for the conduct of teams spectators and participants.

Participants are expected to abide by the following behavioral guidelines:

Respect all participants, umpires/officials, OLOW staff, and spectators. Lead the way in creating a positive, recreational atmosphere.

Avoid the use of foul and/or inappropriate language. Set positive examples for the community.

Refrain from inflicting bodily harm on participants, umpires/officials, OLOW staff, and spectators. Play to have FUN.

Respect all equipment, supplies, and facilities provided by OLOW.

ROSTER & ELIGIBILITY

Rosters are due before Week 2 matches. All roster information must be legible, complete, and accurate for a player to be eligible for league play.

Roster may consist of a maximum of ten (10) players or a minimum of six (6) players. No change to the roster will be allowed after Week 2 matches, except in the case of an injury, or after the last match of the regular season (no changes during playoffs). The replacement player should be of similar ability to the injured players. Any change(s) will require approval by the Athletic Supervisor.

All players must be at least twenty-one (21) years of age before the first scheduled month. Anyone listed on a high school, club, collegiate, or professional team roster is ineligible.

Any team found using an ineligible player will forfeit the match in league standings (no forfeit fee applied).

Once a players name appears on a team roster, that player may not play for any other team within the same league.

The following player combinations make a team eligible for team play: three men/Three women, three men/two women, any player combination of more women than men (6:0, 5:1, 4:2, 5:0, 4:1, 3:2, 4:0, 3:1), or two women/two men. Failure to provide any one of the above combinations will result in a forfeit in league standings (forfeit fee applied). Note: Teams must have at least four players of eligible combination to begin a match.

MATCH

A coin toss will determine side and service for Game #1. The other team will serve Game #2 and teams will switch sides. A new coin toss shall determine side and service in Game #3.

Teams are allowed a three minute warm-up prior to start of match. Captains may opt to decline warm-up and, instead, begin match immediately, but both captains must agree. Referee may delay start of and progressions of match to respond to unexpected situations, and this delay will not affect match ending time.

Match time is forfeit time. If a team does not have an eligible combination of players to begin the match, Game #1 will be forfeited. The opposing team does have the right to waive this rule. If the team can field an eligible combination of players within ten (10) minutes of start time, Games #2 and #3 will be played. Otherwise, the entire match will be forfeited. Any team with three (3) forfeits will be dropped from the league with no refunds. Future league consideration will be evaluated.

Score of any forfeited game within a match will be 12-0.

Each match will consist of three (3) games with a time limit of forty-five (45) minutes. The first team to rally twenty-five (25) points with a Two (2) point advantage will win the game (all games are capped at twenty-seven (27)). If time expires during the second game of the match, the team winning will be declared the winner of that game. To determine the winner of the third game, the referee will toss a coin to determine service, and the first team to score will be declared winner (sudden death).

Each team is allowed two (2) thirty (3) second timeouts per game. Time outs will only be granted after a rally has ended, and they will not be permitted the last five (5) minutes of the hour.

Teams may rotate players into the game as long as the rotation is followed consistently throughout the game; rotation must always be male-for-male and female-for-female.

A team will receive one (1) point for each game won in a match. The team that wins at least two (2) of three (3) games will receive an additional point for the match (total possible points per match is four (4)).

SERVICE & PLAYING THE BALL

For reasons of safety, in between points and games, please roll the ball to the server, do not throw.

Match ball will be provided by OLOW. However, if both captains agree, teams may opt to use their own regulation volleyball during the match. Either way, the referee must approve the game ball used on the court, and can refuse any ball they deem unacceptable.

A female is not required to contact the ball during a teams multiple contacts.

After every side-out (except for the first serve of the game), the new serving team must rotate one (1) position clockwise. The serving order and positions on the court shall alternate male-female or vice-versa as often as eligible player combinations allow. Note: Before each service, players must be positioned in the proper serving order.

During service, the server is not allowed to step on or over the back line, as it will be ruled a fault.

Back-line attacks are allowed. However, a back-line player returning the ball to the opponents side while forward of the attack line must contact the ball when at least part of the ball is below the level of the top of the net. The restriction does not apply if the back-line player jumps from behind the attack line and, after contacting the ball, lands on or in front of the line.

Contacting the opponents playing area with any part of the body except the feet is a fault. Touching the opponents area with a foot or feet is not a fault providing that some part of the encroaching foot or feet remain on or above the center line.

If the ball contacts any inanimate surface, it is declared a side-out and point to the other team. If a ball contacts the net and crosses over the net into the opponents court, it is legal and is a live ball (includes the serve). Note: If your team makes the ball hit the ceiling or playing net on your side and within your playing area (other than on the serve) before three (3) hits have occurred, play may continue.

Blocking is legal, and a ball hit off a block is not considered a spike or a hit. A ball cant be blocked on the opponents side of the net. No blocking or attacking of a serve at the net. Setting of the serve is legal.

While playing the ball, the ball may contact any part of the body (including the foot). Ball contact with the body (even an open palm) is not automatically an illegal hit; if neither prolonged nor double-contacted, in fact, be legal referees discretion.

Player contact with the net is ruled a fault whether or not a player is in the process of playing or interfering with the playing of the ball. However, if an opponents hands are near the net, and the ball contacts that opponents hands through the net, even causing the ball to deflect its direction, no net fault has occurred unless the referee determines that the opponent attempted to play the ballï¿½ through the net referees discretion.

AWARDS & PLAYOFFS

Prizes will be awarded to winners of the regular season.

Prize amounts will be determined by number of participating teams.

STANDINGS

Standings will be updated weekly on the website @ ourladyofthewoods.org (click on Athletic page if anyone provides results to msheehan@ourladyofthewoods.org).

Total points will determine final league standings. In the case of a tie (two (2) or more teams), the following will be used to determine league standings:

If a team did not have its captain or a team representative present for the captain’s meeting, then that team automatically loses the tie-breaker in league standings.

If a team forfeited any matches in the regular season, then that team automatically loses the tie-breaker in league standings.

Results of the in-season head-to-head competition shall be used to break the tie. The team with the most matches won is seeded highest. If tied teams split head-to-head competition, then proceed to D below.

Total number of games won in head-to-head competition. The team with the most games won is seeded highest. If teams split total number of games, then proceed to E below.

Point differential in matches played between the tied teams. The team with the best point differential is seeded highest.

PROTESTS

Protests based solely on a decision that involved accuracy of judgment on the part of a referee will not be considered.

REFEREES

Referees must be treated with respect at all time. All disagreements with a referees interpretation of a rule must be conducted by the team captain in a civil manner.

If a referee does not act appropriately, is late, or if there is consistently poor officiating and knowledge of the rules, please contact the Athletic Supervisor and appropriate action will be taken.

The referees clock is the official clock for his/her specific court. Captains may request a time check in between points and games, provided it does not cause a delay of game.

PLAYER-TEAM CONDUCT

Players ejected from a match must leave the facility immediately, are suspended for the next league match, and must pay a $25 reinstatement fee before being allowed to play again. Players ejected two (2) times in the same session are suspended for the remainder of the session, including playoffs. If a player ejection causes a team to have less than four (4) eligible players on the court, the match will be forfeited.

PROFANITY RULE: If a player directs profanity at a referee, opposing player/coach, or spectator during a match, the penalty shall be as follows:

First Offense Player is issued a yellow card and the team is penalized with a loss of rally.

Second Offense Player is issued a red card and team is penalized with a loss of rally. He/She is ejected from the match and must leave facility.

Any player participating in any physical conduct/fighting with another player, referee, OLOW employee, or spectator before, during, or after a match will be indefinitely suspended from league play; possible civil action.

Any player who verbally threatens a player, referee, OLOW employee, or spectator before, during, or after a match will be indefinitely suspended from league play; possible civil action.

Any player damaging equipment before, during, or after a match (on OLOW property) will be indefinitely suspended from league play. Player will be fined for damages, and possible criminal prosecution.

Persistent poor behavior by a team, including harassment of referees or other teams, may result in the dismissal of that team from the league (includes teams spectators).

Drugs and/or alcoholic beverages are prohibited on OLOW property. Players caught with alcoholic beverages and/or drugs will be permanently suspended from league play.

During a players suspension, he/she cannot participate in nor be a spectator of any scheduled matches of the volleyball league.

Teams may not replace a suspended/disqualified player on their roster.

The Athletic Supervisor has the right to disqualify any player or team from league play due to unsportsmanlike conduct with no league refund.

INJURIES

OLOW is not responsible for any injuries incurred while on the premises of OLOW property and its facilities before, during, or after a match. OLOW does not provide insurance for teams, but it recommends that teams and individuals be commercially insured.

A player who is bleeding, has an open wound, or has an excessive amount of blood on his/her uniform must leave the match and may not return until the situation has been resolved.

If a player suffers an injury during play:

The play stops immediately

The player is given thirty (30) seconds to return to play

If the player cannot return to pay within time, the team may utilize their time-out(s) and/or substitution.

If the injured player cannot safely return to play within time, AND no other players are available, that team will be allowed to play without that player for the remainder of that day only, even if this would cause them to have a less than eligible combination of players on the court no forfeits due to injuries. However, the injured player will be allowed to return to play, in his/her original position, as soon as they elect to return.

GYM

Players are asked to refrain from wearing marking shoes (black-soled) when playing in matches.

Outside food/drinks are prohibited inside the field house. Only exception is bottled water.

For safety reasons, spectator must watch from the bleachers only. Children must be supervised at all times! Unsupervised children and their guardian may be asked to leave the gym.